Band Formation and History
Swervedriver was formed in Oxford, UK, in 1989 by Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge. The band is known in the shoegaze genre for their distinctive equipment usage.
Gear has changed over time, with members frequently swapping pedals and instruments.
Adam Franklin's Equipment
Guitars
Adam Franklin primarily uses a Fender Jazzmaster, specifically a 1962 model. Earlier, he used a Fender Jaguar and a Shergold Nu Meteor but found them unsuitable for his pedal setup. He describes the Jazzmaster as having a bigger sound.
Effects Pedals
- Boss RV-2 Digital Reverb: Used on the album Raise, particularly the plate reverb setting. Franklin has tried other reverbs but returned to the RV-2.
- Boss DF-2 Super Feedbacker/Distortion: A favorite; a malfunctioning unit produced a siren-like sound, which the band replicated by modifying units.
- Other pedals used: Boss tremolo, Boss DF-2, Electro-Harmonix Small Stone, Boss Compressor.
Signal Chain
Franklin splits his guitar signal. One side runs through an effects chain (tremolo, DF-2, Small Stone, compressor) into a Vox AC30. The other side goes directly into a Marshall 50W JCM800.
Amps
Franklin uses a Vox AC30 for clean tones and a Marshall JCM800 50W for distortion, paired with Marshall or Mesa/Boogie cabinets.
Jimmy Hartridge's Equipment
Guitars
His primary guitar is a silver-burst Gibson Les Paul Custom. He has also used various offset and Telecaster-style guitars, including a Squier Jazzmaster and a custom-built offset.
Effects Pedals
Identified from live footage and interviews:
- Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
- Boss DF-2 Super Feedbacker/Distortion
- Boss RE-20 Space Echo
- Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer
- Boss GE-7 Equalizer
- Catalinbread Octapussy
- Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
- DigiTech Whammy (original)
- Catalinbread Echorec
- Electro-Harmonix Little Big Muff Pi
- Boss RV-2 Digital Reverb
- Boss PN-2 Tremolo/Pan
Hartridge's pedalboard is a constantly evolving mix of classic Boss staples and boutique effects.
Amps
Hartridge uses either a Fender Reverb amp or a Marshall half stack, depending on availability or venue size.